U.S. Route 285

For the original US 285, see U.S. Route 285 (1926).

Template:Infobox U.S. Route U.S. Route 285 is a north-south United States highway, running 845 miles (1,260 km) through the states of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The highway's northern terminus is in Denver, Colorado, at exit 201 on Interstate 25. Its southern terminus is in Sanderson, Texas at an intersection with U.S. Highway 90. It has always had an endpoint in Denver, Colorado, though what is now the northern terminus was once the route's southern end. Trucking makes up a large portion of the route's traffic, but for the most part, the road is used for local travel from one town to the next.

The route is a secondary route of US 85, though its parent route has been largely replaced by Interstate 25. It crosses a sibling route, US 385 in Fort Stockton, Texas.

The northern section of the route, from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Denver, Colorado traverses mountainous and rocky terrain; with that in mind, anyone using the road should check weather conditions during the winter months.

As of January 2007 the road is under construction between Espanola and Santa Fe, New Mexico, as part of a long term project to upgrade that section of the highway to a limited access thoroughfare.

Route description

View of South Park along U.S. Highway 285 looking eastward toward the Front Range

Major cities
Roswell, New Mexico Santa Fe, New Mexico Denver, Colorado

Colorado

Touring US 285 southwest out of Denver is a beautiful drive. It runs for a few miles through the Denver metro area as Hampden Avenue then suddenly begins to climb into the Rocky Mountains, mostly following the route of the original narrow gauge transcontinental railroad, skirting the south side of the Mount Evans massif. Once west of Mount Evans, the highway winds its way over Kenosha Pass (elevation 10,001 feet/3,048 m) into the spectacular high-altitude South Park basin of Colorado.

Partway across the South Park, the town of Como is a mecca for narrow gauge railroad buffs, which still houses one of the few remaining narrow gauge roundhouses. The old transcontinental railroad breaks away from US-285 at this point, going northwest over Boreas Pass into Breckenridge and into the historically rich gold fields of Leadville. From Leadville the railroad turned west to California.

US-285 meanwhile continues across the valley to the southwest, leaving the South Park basin as it climbs over Trout Creek Pass (elevation 9,346 feet/2,849 m), and then drops dramatically into the Upper Arkansas River Valley. The view of Mount Princeton as the road descends into this valley is spectacular.

Once the highway hits the Arkansas River Valley floor, it takes a sharp turn south, just missing the town of Buena Vista to the north, a charming small town with a surprisingly mild climate.

As US-285 turns south, it brushes Salida, climbs over Poncha Pass (elevation 9,012 ft/2,745 m), then enters the northern end of the San Luis Valley.

On March 14, 2008 both houses of the Colorado legislature, in a unamious vote, named the section between Kenosha Pass and C-470 the "Ralph Carr Memorial Highway." [1]

New Mexico

Leaving Colorado the highway continues mostly straight south through the San Luis valley into New Mexico. At the south end of the valley, the road goes through the village of Tres Piedres, New Mexico and crosses US 64. Immediately after, it begins the long descent off the Colorado Plateau, passing through Ojo Caliente and then crossing the Rio Chama. It then merges with US 84 in Chamita, NM.

The combined road continues south along the course of the Rio Chama until reaches Espanola, NM and its surroundings, which contains some of the oldest Spanish settlements in the United States. Continuing south, the road becomes a major highway, and the single artery connecting the Espanola valley to Santa Fe.

After passing through Santa Fe, the highway joins I-25 for several miles on an eastward path through the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo mountains, until 285 branches south on its own into the eastern plains of New Mexico. It passes south through Roswell and Carlsbad, New Mexico and then leaves the state, entering Texas going towards Pecos, Texas.

Texas

After leaving New Mexico, 285 meets I-20 at Pecos, TX. Further along, it crosses I-10 at Fort Stockton, TX, and finally reaches its southern terminus at US 90 in Sanderson, TX.

History

The short piece between US 50 at Salida and US 24 at Buena Vista was originally U.S. Route 650, designated in 1926. US 285 was commissioned in 1936 along its present extent from Sanderson to Denver, mostly replacing state-numbered highways.

See also

Related routes

• U.S. Route 85
• U.S. Route 185
• U.S. Route 385
• U.S. Route 485

External links

• Endpoints of US highways

Browse numbered routes
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